1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for inflating an inflatable vehicle Occupant Protection device. In Particular, the present invention relates to an air bag module including an inflator and a pressure regulator for controlling pressure in the inflator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An inflatable vehicle Occupant protection device, such as an air bag, is deployed upon the occurrence of a vehicle crash. The air bag is part of a vehicle Occupant protection apparatus, which further includes a crash sensor and an inflator. The inflator includes a housing and an inflation fluid source, such as a solid propellant, in the housing. When the crash sensor senses a crash-indicating condition for which deployment of the air bag is desired, the inflator is actuated and produces inflation fluid under pressure in the inflator housing. The pressurized inflation fluid is directed out of the inflator housing and inflates the air bag into the vehicle occupant compartment. When the air bag is deployed in this manner, it helps to protect an occupant of the vehicle from a forceful impact with parts of the vehicle as a result of the crash.
It is known to use a pressure regulator, or flow regulator, to control the pressure in the inflator and the flow of inflation fluid out of the inflator. This can be done to accommodate very low or high ambient temperatures, and to facilitate combustion of the propellant in the inflator.
The present invention is an apparatus comprising an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device and an inflator having a housing. The inflator is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable device. The housing has a fluid flow area for directing flow of inflation fluid out of the housing to the inflatable device. The apparatus also comprises a retainer for retaining the protection device in position relative to the housing. The retainer has a portion at least partially blocking the fluid flow area when the inflator is unactuated. The retainer portion moves due to the pressure of inflation fluid acting on the retainer portion upon actuation of the inflator to increase the fluid flow area.